The Alien Chronicles: Immigrant Stories

The Alien Chronicles is a weekly podcast that focuses on peoples’ journeys to America, specifically in NY and surrounding areas. Every week, the podcast invites people who are unique in their own right, global citizens of sorts. People who have come to call America home, despite where they are from, who carry the legacy of their ancestors while being as American as can be. Guests talk food, fashion, politics etc. in the context of different cultures and ethnicities. Our goal is to create empathy for “the other” through relatable narratives.

Saadia Khan talks to Tahmina Watson about pressing immigration issues. Tahmina is a nationally acclaimed immigration attorney and the founder of Watson Immigration Law, in Seattle, Washington. She was a barrister in London before immigrating to America. Tahmina is also the author of “The Startup Visa: Key to Job Growth & Economic Prosperity in America”. In addition to appearing on CNN, Forbes and other media platforms, she is the host of “Tahmina Talks Immigration” a radio show turned podcast available on itunes. Recently, Tahmina helped cofound a non-profit, the Washington Immigrant Defense Network- WIDEN as a result of the current administration’s ‘zero tolerance’ policy. WIDEN, funds and facilitates legal representation in the immigration courtroom.

Saadia Khan reminisces about her trip to Turkey as she interviews Melike Ayan. Melike is originally from Turkey. She is the New York Correspondent for Bloomberg HT Television where she provides in-depth coverage and analysis of major economic and business trends, including in-depth reporting on global corporations. Additionally, Ayan established her own company, Mel Strategies, which specializes in media relations and crisis communications

Saadia Khan talks to Lisa Genn. Lisa was born in Russia, her parents and she left Moscow in December 1989 on the verge of the collapse of the Soviet Union in hopes of resettling in America under a program for bringing Soviet Jews to the United States as refugees. Lisa is a lawyer by profession, but has worked on human rights issues throughout her career. she is a city girl who spend most of her time in Manhattan but now lives in Westchester county in NY with her husband and two young children.

Saadia Khan talks to Edafe Okporo, an LGBTQ refugee from Nigeria. He is a fierce advocate for Human rights specifically those of LGBTQ community in NY and around the globe including West Africa. His passion to help others like him stems from his own struggle which propels him to stand up for the defenseless. Currently Edafe is the Director of RDJ Refugee Shelter. He is the author of BED 26: A Memoir of an African Man's Asylum in United States. He also serves as a Board Member of First Friends of New Jersey and New York

Saadia Khan talks to Reshad Ahmedi, an immigrant from Afghanistan. Reshad worked for ten years on U.S.-funded re-construction projects in Afghanistan, until insurgents targeted him for his affiliation with the United States. Reshad is in the US on a Special Immigration Visa (SIV) to the United States. He is now an Assistant Project Manager at a local Tectonic Engineering & Surveying. Reshad is also an Ambassador of the Westchester Refugee Initiative, helping to spread the word about refugees.

In this first episode of Season 2, Saadia Khan talks to Alyssa Mosley. Alyssa was born and raised in the homeland of Lenape people, also known as Bridgeton NJ. She is the enrolled member of Nanticoke Lenni- Lenape tribe, it’s the largest Indian tribe in NJ. The history of Lenape tribe goes back over 10,000 years. Most of Lenape people faced forced migration to Canada or mid western US but some still left behind. In 2015, Alyssa was crowned princess to represent her people. She is studying business studies. We get her perspective on immigration debate in the US and her life as an indigenous princess

Saadia talks to Alessia Valfredini, an Italian American. Alessia is also a Professor at Fordham University in NY. She teaches modern languages and literature and she is almost never taken for an immigrant, . In this episode, we take a glimpse into her personal life and her perspective as a Western European immigrant living in America

In this Special Edition of The Alien Chronicles, Saadia Khan talks to Eric Maddox, a fellow podcaster and founder of the Virtual Dinner Guest Project and a US citizen living as an immigrant in Valencia Spain. They talk about the nuances of being an immigrant in the EU, racism in America and much more

In this episode, Saadia Khan talks to Daisy Khan about her personal journey to America and her perspective as a modern religious scholar in America. Daisy Khan is one of the most prominent female Muslim leaders in the United States. She is also the Executive Director of the Women's Islamic Initiative in Spirituality and Equality (WISE) and Author of Born with Wings

Saadia interviews Ali Yarkhan, a branding executive, who has worked for internationally renowned brands like Prada and Giorgio Armani. He is also a director who wants to create documentaries that highlight social issues. On a personal level, he continues to explore and practice Sufism’s diverse cultural legacies in an attempt to achieve inner peace. In this episode, Ali talks about different facets of his life, from being a fashion guru to a filmmaker and a Sufi.

Saadia talks to Nadine Ali, a Pakistani American, about her journey to the US, her life as a baker and her rather unconventional path to sweetness. Currently Nadine owns a successful business as a baker in NYC, she is also a mom and loves to dance!

Saadia talks to Nicole Duran, Dominican Republic native. Nicole is currently working as a hairstylist and is also a student focusing on psychology and public speaking. With faith, she is trying to bring her community together. She believes that where you come from does not define where you will go.

In this episode, Saadia talks to Juan Escalante, a renowned digital strategist and nationally recognized immigration advocate about his experiences as an immigrant in US and his role in spearheading the immigrant rights movement for the last 10 years.

In this episode of "The Alien Chronicles", host Saadia Khan talks to Kelly Yzique, a former DACA recipient and now US permanent resident, about immigration and other issues that affect the migrant community. They talk about the immigrant caravan, misconception surrounding undocumented immigrants and how United States needs to reconcile with its past.

Saadia khan talks to Sahar Saleem, an American Pakistani who immigrated to US when she was 7 years old. A creative through and through, she is Marketing Manager at PepsiCo by day and an artist, musician, and writer by night. They talk culture, food, stereotypes, religion & politics.